'Thor' Rocks: Another absolute good time from Marvel

Still of Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok. Imprisoned, the mighty Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.

Courtesy Photo

Posted
Tuesday, November 7, 2017 11:31 am

By PAUL HALL, TV Guide

I really have come to enjoy a good superhero movie. Gone are the days of plotless action films that make you regret the time you spent, especially given the increased run times in the genre. I'm so happy to say the new film Thor: Ragnarok is well worth every minute you spend with it.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) heads back to Asgard, and to his dismay, his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is not there. Instead, he discovers his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is still alive, and together, the two brothers set off to find their father. But Odin isn't long for our world, leaving Thor to join forces with Loki to fend off the sister they never knew, Hela (Cate Blanchett) the goddess of death. Thor and Loki will need to battle their sister to keep the Asgardian people safe.

But that won't be easy without help. While exiled to another planet, Thor will need to go head-to-head with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) just to survive a gladiatorial contest hosted by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). And if that battle is won, it is just the stepping stone to the ultimate battle with Hela to prevent Ragnarok, the destruction of Thor's homeland. Will the team assemble in time?

Thor: Ragnarok is an absolute good time at the movies. The Marvel folks have given us something that is a pleasure to experience on the big screen. Thor and his team including the Hulk and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) are fun characters, and the levity within the dialogue expresses that with every passing moment.

The cartoon nature of the environment in which the characters exist just adds to the fun factor. Bodies pile up en masse, which is a bit disconcerting, but still the film tries to make it a very palatable aspect of this nonstop adventure. And oh, the Hulk butt shot -- did we really need it?

Despite the questionable moments within the overall film, it is a worthy addition to the Marvel film universe. It's efforts like Thor: Ragnarok that make these films the gold star in the genre.

Where does Thor go from here? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, I'll be in line waiting for the next film with Thor and the rest of the Avengers. Give me more Thor and I'm in -- Thor rocks!